Sovereign of The Seas by SawdustDave - FINISHED

[mtaylor]

Dave,

I'm in total agreement with you.  Seems an awful lot of things in this hobby are "reconstructions".   I think you're doing great.

[SawdustDave]

Dave,

I'm in total agreement with you. Seems an awful lot of things in this hobby are "reconstructions". I think you're doing great.

Thanks for pointing that out Mark. Here's still another example of the type of issues I keep running in to at every turn with this build.

The gun port openings were all created according to the plan sheets. Although it may seem like a small issue, the dimensions of the openings were not correct.... and it became more noticeable once I began mounting the closed lids for the bottom row. Even though only slightly "underscale", the eye picked up on the flaw immediately after installing the second, third, and fourth lids.

After ripping off the first four lids, and researching the common dimensions for the gun port openings, I set about with my trusty scalpel to re-size the openings.

 

 

Next, I began looking at the new lids, mounted FLUSH with the hull planking and ran into another issue....the lack of definition.

 

After mounting four lids flush with the hull planks, I went back to the internet and pulled a number of images of "ships of the fleet" kits, and found a number of models with the gun port frames standing proud from the hull planks.... and I tend to like the more defined look, especially for the closed lids.

 

I ripped the second four lids off and set about building frames around the lids in order to get more definition....

 

So, after almost a full week of construction and reconstruction, I've managed to install all of the open lids for the middle deck and just over half of the gun port lids for the bottom deck.

Edited February 19, 2016 by SawdustDave

[GLakie]

It's a bummer you had to re-do them Dave, but the framed-in look does seem better. 

[edmay]

Fantastic work Dave, the framing was a great idea,a more profound look , trying to play catchup as Admiral is on the mend at last . Edwin

[CaptainSteve]

Re-dos are a PITA ... but fantastic work, Dave !!

[Piet]

Dave, the best way to state this would be "The Sovereign Of The Seas as interpreted by Dave."

Your interpretation will look just as stunning as any other SOS and you can proudly put your name to her.

 

I'll do the same for my VOC ship model.

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

I appreciate the visits and valued input guys. Hope I can begin to pick up the pace a little bit while the chilly weather keeps me off the links.

Gun ports will move along much easier now that the resolution to all the issues has been established.

Cheers

Dave

[BLACK VIKING]

Simply stunning briliant work

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Dave 

As George said,it's was a pity of your re-dos, but it does look better! Re-doing is a part of our lives, I guess. Keep up your high standards mate.

 

Havagooday 

Greg 

[Omega1234]

Hi. Dave

 

Greg said it all!

 

Nicely done.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[SawdustDave]

More reconstruction....

Taking a break from cannon ports and lids, I began taking a serious look at the beak, again, using the beautiful build log provided by Doris as my primary resource.  No surprise, the architecture had to be modified.

The good news is that this may be the easiest modification issue I've run into with this build.

 

Before and after shots.... the beak deck needed to be raised about 3/4" and the bulkhead layout was a simple matter of shaping a thin sheet of balsa.  All will be planked over of course. 

 

 

I'm thinking I will probably build the bulkhead, with all the ornamentation, offship.

[SawdustDave]

UPDATE....New carvings

The bulkhead layout and deck planking went without great complication.

 

There will be six new carvings mounted on the wooden columns seen above the deck.

Here are the first four roughly shaped Sculpy figures I created over the last two days....

 

 

 

 

[GLakie]

Wow Dave!!  You're becoming quite a hand at this carving work!  Very nice!! 

[Piet]

Nicely done Dave!

 

Cheers,

[donrobinson]

She is looking good Dave. Your carvings and sculptures always amaze me and more so the speed you seem to achieve, however, with all your reconstruction would you mind if I addressed you as "ReconDave" rather than "SawdustDave"      .

 Great work!!

[SawdustDave]

Cleaning up the carvings after baking.....

Here's another important quality about working with Sculpy, I should point out to those who might be considering giving it a go....

The ability to carve really fine details into your figure AFTER BAKING.

Here are two of the figures I baked yesterday after clean-up with a scalpel blade....

Note the three dimensional effect of shaping the sides and back side of the pieces.

Surprisingly, I was even able to put an edge and a point on the sward with no problem.

 

 

The bottom piece, I created this morning.  This will be used to decorate the four chaser cannon ports located between the  columns on each side of the passage door. 

I'll have to create a mold of that piece in order to duplicate it precisely with plastic castings.

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Brilliant! Keep them coming please Dave.

Havagooday

Greg

[Omega1234]

Hi Dave

 

Very impressive, Dave...very impressive, indeed!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Hi Dave

 

Very impressive, Dave...very impressive, indeed!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

I agree with Patrick, or is was it Teal'c. Lol

[SawdustDave]

Update.... Building the beak.....

 

Painted black and notched for the seven frame members shaped out of hard maple, the construction of the beak is a little tricky. 

Seen here, being very careful in the spacing between the frame members in terms of maintaining perfectly square and level alignments.

 

 

The square block is clamped in place for each frame and carefully tweeked and miked until perfect.

 

 

[SawdustDave]

The beak head bulkhead carvings now in place....

 

Ready to proceed with the creation of the grating panels before I attempt to develop the bulwarks on each side..... and more carvings.

 

 

Note, I still need to clean up and trim out the bold molding immediately above the carvings.

 

 

 

 

 

[UpstateNY]

Looks fabulous Dave...the last shot is my favorite yet.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[Omega1234]

Hi Dave

 

I'm just sitting here shaking my head in disbelief! I can't even imagine being able to replicate what you've done.

 

You, Sir, are doing one hell of a fabulous job on those carvings.

 

Cheers and all the best for the weekend.

 

Patrick

[SawdustDave]

Thanks Patrick and Nigel. I must confess, I was more than a little satisfied with the whole bulkhead module, which I completed off ship.

I guess it was the most dramatic change in overall appearance of the model vs. anything I have added in many weeks.

 

Funny thing 'bout those particular figures.... Except for one piece which I used a drawing from the plan sheets, I wasn't real sure, as I began each piece, exactly what I was going for, until they began taking shape on the glass.

That's the fun part about working with Sculpy. You can kinda' let your imagination go to work without fear of messing up....add a little here and remove a little there.

 

Sorry if I'm beginning to sound like a Sculpy salesman here?

Cheers

Dave

[mtaylor]

Keep selling the Sculpy, Dave.  With results like that, no argument here, only a "wow"....

[Omega1234]

Hi Dave

 

I agree with Mark!

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Looks fabulous Dave...the last shot is my favorite yet.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

Hi Dave

I'm just sitting here shaking my head in disbelief! I can't even imagine being able to replicate what you've done.

You, Sir, are doing one hell of a fabulous job on those carvings.

Cheers and all the best for the weekend.

Patrick

Keep selling the Sculpy, Dave. With results like that, no argument here, only a "wow"....

 

 

 

I agree with Nigel!

 

Patrick: yes indeed

 

Mark is right! You should be on their payroll.

 

 

G'day Dave

I'm at awe with all of your work!

Greg

Edited February 26, 2016 by Greg the peg leg sailor

[SawdustDave]

Always nice to wake up and begin the morning with such encouraging remarks from MSW friends.... so undeserving....

 

Thanks Mark and Patrick, and, from down under....Greg with the peg leg....     

You guys made my morning much brighter.

Cheers

Dave

[BLACK VIKING]

As always stunning work Dave

[SawdustDave]

Beak-head framing....

 

After clean up and trimming of the bulkhead, I began building the 14 catwalk panels.  First, using tracing paper to create a precise fit for each of the panels, as they must fit perfectly between each frame member.

 

 

Then planking each frame with a uniform gap (used the thickness of my steel ruler to maintain consistent gaps).... all panels were glued in place.

 

 

Here's a little closer look at the finished bulkhead with outside morning light.... note the addition of the two "heads".

Some clean up of glue stains still to be done prior to applying golden oak stain.

 

 

The cowlings (bulwarks) have been cut out and, seen here, painted red on the inboard side....

 

Edited February 28, 2016 by SawdustDave